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why do i keep hooking my golf ball

by Belle McGlynn Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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  • An inside takeaway. One of the biggest causes of a pull hook is something that you might not think of at first, unless you are rather experienced in this game. ...
  • Failure to rotate away from the target. ...
  • Poor lower body rotation in the downswing. ...

Full Answer

Why do I keep hooking the ball?

Another reason why you’re hooking the ball is your club is not traversing down the ideal swing plane. If the ball starts from the left then goes farther left, then it is more likely that your club is moving from outside to inside the target line.

What causes a hook in golf?

What Causes a Hook in Golf 1 Your club face is closed at impact.#N#No matter how good your grip, stance, or swing is, the position of the club face... 2 Your club path is way off the correct swing plane. More ...

How do you know if you’re hooking the golf ball?

A great way to check is to take your normal address position and then lift the club up so your hands are at waist height. Now look to see if the face is pointing towards the target. If you struggle with a hook, it may well point more towards the ground. Hooking the golf ball? Check your grip Your next checkpoint is the grip.

Why do golfers get stuck when they hit the ball?

The most common reason players get stuck is, they don't keep the arms and club in front of the chest as they turn back and through. When the club trails the upper body on the way down, the hands have to flip the clubhead over to recover.

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How do I stop my golf ball from hooking?

3:214:34How To Stop Hooking The Golf Ball - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd get the feeling that Club is turning on the way back. So the toe is pointing to the sky. It'sMoreAnd get the feeling that Club is turning on the way back. So the toe is pointing to the sky. It's much easier than to get to the top of the backswing. And have a square clubface.

Why do I keep hooking the ball in golf?

The better player hooks the ball for one primary reason—their swing direction is too much from in to out, or out to the right. As a result, the clubface is closed relative to the path of the clubhead, which causes the ball to start relatively close to the target line and then curve wildly to the left.

How do I stop hooking my golf ball with irons?

4:007:02STOP HOOKING YOUR IRONS SHOTS - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd your body as you go through. And by keeping the club face looking at the sky we're reducing theMoreAnd your body as you go through. And by keeping the club face looking at the sky we're reducing the amount that the clubface rotates. Through impact. So for me this is what I call a concept drill.

Does a strong grip cause a hook?

For golfers who struggle with an overdrawing ball flight, we often see a grip that is turned too far away from the target — commonly known as a “strong” grip. This type of grip can often close (and de-loft) the clubface too much in relationship to the swing path and target at impact, leading to the dreaded duck-hook.

How do I stop hitting hooks?

To fix the issue, turn your hand more towards the target, in a neutral position. Make sure the V's between your thumb and index finger on each hand point straight up. When the V's are facing more towards your rear shoulder, you are likely to hit a bad left hook.

Why do I keep hooking irons?

The upper body obstructs or interferes with the club's path to the ball. The most common reason players get stuck is, they don't keep the arms and club in front of the chest as they turn back and through. When the club trails the upper body on the way down, the hands have to flip the clubhead over to recover.

How do I stop hooking shots?

1:356:44EASY FIX TO STOP HOOKING YOUR IRONS - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipPoint even back at the target at impact the ball should set off very very close to that and then theMorePoint even back at the target at impact the ball should set off very very close to that and then the path the club is moving on as it hits the golf ball creates clip.

Why do people curve the ball from right to left?

A strong grip is one of the biggest reasons for people who curve the ball from right to left. The strong grip often results in the right hand moving to the right and facing away from the ball. The hand slides right and moves underneath the club.

How to swing a golf club?

In the starting position for your swing, your arms and the club are out in front of you. Don't change that relationship. Focus on keeping them in front of you through the swing. Make sure you turn until the middle of your chest is facing forward .

How to fix a left hook?

To fix the issue, turn your hand more towards the target, in a neutral position. Make sure the V's between your thumb and index finger on each hand point straight up. When the V's are facing more towards your rear shoulder, you are likely to hit a bad left hook.

How to develop a perfect swing?

Developing the perfect swing is a never-ending work in progress. Develop a routine every time you address the ball, going through your checklist to make sure your grip and alignment are right. On your swing, remember, to shift forward and turn through the swing.

Why do I get hooks on my swing?

Probably the most common swing-related cause of the hook is an inactive lower body. If you struggle to transfer your weight during the downswing, your hands will take over and a quick hook is very much on the cards.

Why do I get hooks in my hands?

Rotate your body. Another common cause of the hook is an early release of the angle in the hands through impact. In my experience, this happens because golfers stop rotating their bodies. A great tip that will help is simply to turn your left foot out a fraction at address (as above).

How to make a grip change?

In this instance, start with seeing one and a half knuckles on your right hand and hit some half shots. You should begin to see and feel a difference. From there, work towards grooving a more neutral grip and you’ll kill your hooks for good.

How to tell if you have a strong grip on a hook?

If, for example, you can see three on the left but only one on the right, you have a strong grip and that could be causing the hook.

What happens if you struggle to transfer weight during the downswing?

If you struggle to transfer your weight during the downswing, your hands will take over and a quick hook is very much on the cards. RELATED: How to stop toe strikes. If this sounds like you, take your normal address position and slightly close the face of your iron – it sounds counterintuitive, but it works.

Why is my golf ball going left?

Here are 2 reasons why your golf shots are going to the left. 1. Your club face is closed at impact. No matter how good your grip, stance, or swing is, the position of the club face at impact is the most important factor that will determine the direction that your ball will take.

What does it mean to hit a hook shot in golf?

What is a Hook in Golf. One of the goals of a golfer is to hit straight shots consistently. However, this does not always happen. For a right-handed golfer, a hook shot means when a golf ball goes to the right then curves way to the left. And vice versa, for a left-handed golfer, a hook shot means when a golf ball goes to ...

Why is my golf club not going down the swing plane?

If the ball starts from the left then goes farther left, then it is more likely that your club is moving from outside to inside the target line.

How to hit straight shots?

In order to hit straight shots, you need full body coordination so that the club hits the ball with a square club face. It is not enough to just know how to stop hooking the ball, you need to put everything that you learned into action. So hurry and head to a driving range and practice hitting straighter shots.

Why do my shots go to the left?

One possible reason why your shots are going to the left is because of your club. You should know which golf club to use for your skill level. Actually changing or adjusting your club is one of the easiest ways on how to stop hooking the ball.

How to make your golf ball go left?

Shift the weight of your body to your left leg as you turn. As you turn, your right shoulder will lower. Then, you should continue turning your body. I know that this may sound ironic but if you don’t want your ball to go the left, then you must keep on turning to the left. Let me explain.

How to hold a golf club with your left hand?

Place your left hand’s open palm at the end part of the handle. Close your hand. Hold the club by wrapping your fingers around the handle. Don’t hold the club across your palm. Because holding it with your palm will restrict the movement of your hand and wrist.

What causes a hook?

Taken together and to summarize, a hook is caused by the combination of a: Clubface that is pointing to the right of the target at impact. This produces a shot that starts right of the target but spins left aggressively.

Why is a golf shot called a push hook?

Note that technically, the shot can also be called a pushed hook because as is the case for a push shot, the ball begins its flight right of the target. Continue reading in order to find out what causes hooks and in order to get some advice on how ...

What direction does the clubface go in a hook ball flight?

Specifically and for a shot to produce a counter-clockwise spin that is typical of a hook ball flight, the clubface must be closed relative to the club path. Or in other words, the clubface must aim more left than the path of the club itself. But – and this is important – because the ball flies to the right of the target initially it means ...

What does it mean when the ball flies to the right of the target?

But – and this is important – because the ball flies to the right of the target initially it means that the clubface at impact was open relative to the target. And the only way the club can be aiming to the right of the target at impact yet be closed relative to the club path is through a severe inside-out club path.

What is a pull hook in golf?

In golf a pull hook – or a pulled hooked shot – is one that features the same right to left side spin that is associated with a hook. However, in this instance the shot starts left of the target instead of right. So in contrast to the hook shot proper, a pull hook will see the ball start left of the target and proceed to curve left still.

What is a hook shot in golf?

In golf a hook – or a hooked shot – is one that sees the ball starting right of the target initially but then veering aggressively to the left as a result of strong counterclockwise sidespin.

Can you hit golf balls on the toe?

Indeed, you should probably check to make sure you are not hitting golf balls on the toe portion of your clubface. This is best avoided otherwise the gear effect in golf is brought into the equation, which will transfer counter-clockwise spin onto the ball.

What is a pull hook in golf?

A true hook in golf is a shot that starts out to the right of your target (for right-handed players) or starts straight but then curves back to the left. This is caused by a combination of club path through impact and face alignment at impact.

What does it mean when you hook a target?

This means that you don't want to have your hands and forearms turned away from the target too much at impact.

How to do a downswing swing?

That means you start your downswing from the ground up firing your hips first, then your shoulders, then your arms, and then your hands.

What is a true hook?

So simply put, if your clubface is shut at impact, your ball is probably going to hook and if you swung on an inside/out path, you can call it a true hook. If you swung on an outside/in path and got the face closed at impact you could call it a pull hook.

Do shanks pop up randomly?

Just about all golfers fear a shank. In reality, though, they are an easy fix when you know the causes. It's not often that a shank will pop up randomly either. They seem to come in groups (one shank loves another) and go on for a while. Once fixed, they usually go away and don't come back.

Can hooks occur in golf?

Hooks can occur at any time and are dangerous miss-hits as they are extremely difficult to control. Finding and fixing what causes a hook in golf is crucial for low to high handicappers alike. >> If you like this, you'll also like: 3 Proven Ways How to Correct Your Reverse Pivot in Golf.

What does it mean when you top the ball in golf?

When you “top the ball” in golf, it means one simple thing is going on. The club is striking the ball above its equator. Unfortunately, there are a few potential causes of that. You may be experiencing one or more of these causes. The golf swing is like a machine.

What happens if you hit the ball too far forward?

For instance, if the ball is too far forward or back in your stance, the arc of your swing will be off, resulting in a topped golf shot. Solution: Position the ball in the middle of your stance for irons and in-line with the lead heel for your driver.

What happens if your arc is too high?

When this happens you usually have two options. You either completely whiff the ball. Embarrassing, but it happens. Or you hit above the equator, topping the ball. You reach the bottom of the arc before hitting the ball and are on an upswing when the club connects.

What happens if you slide your hips back in golf?

This mechanical error in your golf swing can result in topping the ball. Whether you’re sliding your hips back and not correcting prior to impact or you’re sliding too far forward during the downswing, the result is the same.

What happens when you hit the bottom of the arc too late?

When the bottom of the arc occurs too late, you’re still hitting above the ball’s equator, meaning you’re hitting at the top of the ball rather than the sweet spot.

Do skilled golfers make the mistake of topping the ball?

Even skilled golfers make the mistake of topping the ball on occasion, according to Jack Nicklaus. It’s not something reserved for “newbie” golfers. In most cases, skilled golfers make this mistake when swinging for the fences (for those who like the occasional mixed sports metaphor). When you’re really trying for maximum distance is ...

Why do golf balls shoot left?

The reason they do is because the sidehill will promote a flatter swing that will leads to a more aggressive release of the hands. This will naturally close the clubface and send the ball to the left of the target.

Why is my golf club not flat?

If the lies of your clubs – the angle between your shaft and ground at address – are too high then your club will not be flat as it will penetrate the ground. Instead, the toes will stay off the ground, which may ultimately contribute to sending the ball to the left.

Why is the ball aiming left of the target?

And because the ball shoots left of the target, it means the clubface was closed at impact and was also aiming left of the target. But it also means the swing path was outside-to-in, resulting in a clubface that is square to the club path and ultimately a pulled shot. Likely Reason #1:

How to avoid over the top swing path?

In order to avoid an over the top swing path you will need to focus on the downswing. Rather than pushing the club outside of the target line as you begin the downswing you will need to focus on bringing the club down from inside of the target line as it should, rotating around your body in the process.

What does it mean when the clubface is closed at impact?

Clubface Closed at Impact, But Square to the Club Path. For a shot to produce no side spin, the clubface must hit the ball with an angle that is square to the club path. In effect, the path the club takes must match the direction of the clubface. And because the ball shoots left of the target, it means the clubface was closed at impact ...

What is a pull shot in golf?

In golf a pull – or a pulled shot – is one that sees the ball starting left of the target initially and continuing on straight that line, without lateral spin. It is in effect a straight shot that misses left of the target. Because it ultimately misses the target it constitutes a golf shot error and should be avoided.

Should you aim right of the target when setting up for a shot?

If you find it too difficult to alter your swing and club path – or if you’d rather keep it as is – then you can opt to simply aim right of the target when setting up for a shot.

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What Causes Hooks?

  • Clubface Open at Impact, But Closed to the Club Path
    For a shot to produce a lot of side spin the clubface must hit the ball with an angle that is anything but square to the club path. Or in other words, the clubface must not be perpendicular to the direction of the club at impact in order to produce some side spin. Specifically and for a shot to …
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Other Possible Reasons For A Closed Clubface

  • The following are possible explanations for why your clubface could be closed relative to the path, which as was discussed is a key element of a hook flight path.
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Other Possible Reasons For An Inside-Out Club Path

  • Are you locking your right knee at the top of the swing?
    Another part of the puzzle behind your hook shots – and another that relates to the top of the swing position – is found in how your right knee behaves. Indeed, some golfers tend to lock their right leg at the top of the swing. They do so while rotating the upper body on top of the hips. Th…
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Other Possible Reasons For A Hook

  • If the likeliest reasons proposed above still don’t touch the core of your hooking shot issues then you’ll want to consider the following alternative explanations.
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Pull Hooks – How to Stop Pull Hooking Shots Left

  • In golf a pull hook – or a pulled hooked shot – is one that features the same right to left side spin that is associated with a hook. However, in this instance the shot starts left of the target instead of right. So in contrast to the hook shot proper, a pull hook will see the ball start left of the target and proceed to curve left still. As is the case for a hook shot, a pull hook will also see the ball co…
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